Fornia



March 8, 1932. s. B. OULSMAN ET AL 1,848,742

VENETIAN BLIND CONTROL Filed Dec. 8, 1950 that at all times,

Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEWART B. OULSMAN,

011 L08 ANGELES, AND mm V. 0mm, 01 VENICE, CALI- FORN'IA.

vmm'rrau 3mm) con-moi.

Application fled December 8, 1980. Serial No. 500,837.

This invention relates to an appliance by which a Venetian blind may bereadily raised and lowered bodily by simply drawing a chain, and willremain stationary at whatever position it is left by the chainmanipulation, and in which, during manipulation, the roller that raisesand lowers the slats of the Venetian blind will shift endwise to preventthe turns of the slat supporting cords from winding over each other.

A principle of this invention is that the cord winding roller isslidingly splined to a drivin stub shaft at one end and is revolw ablyan slidingly journalled to a stub shaft at the other end.

That is to say, the roller that takes up and lets out the line whichraises and lowers the slats of the Venetian blind is shiftinglyjournalled at its ends by means of two stub shafts, on one of which theroller revolves and the other of which, revolves with the roller; and weprovide means to be manipulated by the operator to revolve the splineshaft; and we also provide a screw arrangement by which the roller isshifted to cause the cord to be wound in a compact spiral withoutcrowding or climbing upon or over itself. 5".

In former constructions the operation of the take-up roller was effectedby means of a rope wound around a spool when the blind was fully downand which operated through cords connected to the bottom rail of theblind so that by pulling down on the rope the cords were drawn up, andby fastening the rope to a cleat or stationary means, the bottom rail ofthe blind is held at a desired height, against gravitational descent.

An objection to such former contrivance is except when the blind isfully down, there is an extra length of rope that has to be disposed ofuntil the blind is again fully lowered.

An object of this invention is to provide a construction in which theoperation of raising and lowering the bottom rail can be an endlesschain that always reproduced b e same length and does not get mains at tin the way.

Another diliiculty arises in cases where the Venetian blind is long andheavy, as for wide plate glass windows, so that the raisin and loweringof the blind requires consi erable manual force and such blinds can notwell be operated b the hands of females or slight persons, an an objectof this invention is to provide simple and easily operated mechanicalmeans by which the power required to lift the bottom rail and slats iscomparatively small; and it is well within the ability of children orfrail people; and such mechanism is so constructed that the load will besustained at any elevation witho'ut fastening the endless chain.

Another object is to minimize the housing in which the operatingmechanism is mount- Other objects are simplicity and ease ofinstallation. d

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims.

0 The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental inside elevation of a Venetian blind mountedaccording to this invention, broken at parts to show various portions inaxial section, and showin the housing and the lower rail and a few 0 theslats; portions of the frame of the window also being shown; portions ofthe window, the blind and the handling device being broken away tocontract the view.

Fig. 2 is a verticalbsection on line 2202, Fig. 1', looking to the riht.

Fig. 3 is a vertica section on line m3, Fig. 1, looking to the right.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross-sections on lines 004, m5, and x6,respectively, in Fig. 1.

The centrally bored blind operating roller 1 is revolvably supported bya non-revolvable externally threadedv sleeve 2, extending into one endof the roller, and a spindle 3 extending into the other end of theroller, and said roller is revolvable on, and shiftable along saidsleeve and s indie, both of which are axially alined wit each other andwith the roller which is supported by a frame 4 through brackets 5, 6.

The threaded sleeve is practically integral with the bracket 5, and forconvenience of manufacture, may be fixed thereto b solder, or bywelding, or otherwise, so that t e sleeve is non-revolvable.

A nut 7 screw threaded onto the sleeve 2 is'mounted inside the bore ofthe roller so that when the roller is rotated, it is shifted endwise thewidth ofa thread at each revolution of the roller.

The roller is provided with a bearing 8 which is freely slidable androtatable on the spindle 3.

A roller revolving stub-shaft arbor 9 is journalled in the main mounting5 and the threaded sleeve 2, and extends into the roller beyond the endof the sleeve, and is arranged for relative endwise shifting andnon-rotation with respect thereto.

The brackets 5 and 6 are fixed to the frame 4 by bolts 10 and the headbracket 5 carries the mechanism by which the arbor is operated to raiseand lower the blind.

The chain wheel 11 is journalled on a shaft 12, the axis of which is ina plane above the arbor 9; and the vertical planes of the axes of theshaft and arbor are at right angles to each other, and the wheel isgeared to the arbor by the worm gears 13 and 14.

The endless power chain 15 is adapted to drive the wheel 11 and therebyrevolve the worm 13 fixed thereto, and the worm nut 14 in meshtherewith, thus to revolve the arbor 9, which in turn revolves theroller to which it is engaged by the keyway 16 and the key 17 engagingthe key seat'18 in the nut 7.

The cords 19 fixed to the roller to be wound thereon when the roller isrotated, are attached to the Weight bar 20 and are equal in diameter tothe width of the screw threads of the sleeve so that the cords wind onthe roller without over-lapping.

By the arrangement shown, this mechanism is brought into a small compassand the power applied through the chain is so effective that thestrength required for handling a heavy blind is practically negligible.

There is no extra take-u to the hand operated connection and the eavyduty worm gear arrangement can not be operated by the weight of theshade and therefore the shade will remain stationary at whatever heightto which it is adjusted, until moved by means of the endless chain.

In Fig. 1, the standard slat adjusting arrangement is shown includingthe adjusting roller 21, the slat operating straps 22 connecting theroller to the weight bar 20, and the adjusting roller operating device23 congrollefid by the cord loop having the limbs We claim 1. Incombination with a Venetian blind roller, of a stationary threadedsleeve; a nut fixed to the roller and threaded on the sleeve, and anarbor extending through the sleeve and slidably engaging the roller torotate the same to shift the nut and the roller along the sleeve.

2. In combination with a Venetian blind roller including a frame, of abracket, a stationary threaded sleeve integral with said bracket; a nutfixed to the roller and threaded on the sleeve, and an arbor extendingthrough the sleeveand slidabl engaging the -roller to rotate the same toshift the nut and the roller along the sleeve; and worm gear to revolvethe arbor.

3. The combination with a Venetian blind roller, of a stub shaft onwhich one end of the roller is endwise shiftably and revolvably mounted;an arbor on which the other end of the roller is splined to revolve theroller; a nut fixed to the roller; a stationary screwthreaded sleevewith which the nut is engaged to shift the roller endwise as it isrevolved; a bracket integral with one end of said sleeve for holding itstationary and a heavy duty worm gearing to revolve the arbor and anonkinkable chain and a chain wheel to drive said gearing.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles,California, this 13th day of November, 1930.

STEWART B. OULSMAN. ELMER V. CRAYN E.

